Not a star, a chorizo
August 5, 2022 3:54 AM Subscribe
French scientist Etienne Klein(Wikipedia) apologises after 'James Webb Telescope' image revealed as slice of chorizo (Australian ABC)
The Twitter thread.
The Twitter thread.
The universe contains many wonders—galaxies, nebulae, black holes, charcuterie . . .
posted by thivaia at 5:10 AM on August 5, 2022 [29 favorites]
posted by thivaia at 5:10 AM on August 5, 2022 [29 favorites]
I know that disinformation is a major problem and the last thing we need is for people to have reason to distrust scientists but this is hilarious.
posted by ejs at 5:38 AM on August 5, 2022 [59 favorites]
posted by ejs at 5:38 AM on August 5, 2022 [59 favorites]
To see a Star in a Slice of Meat
And a Heaven in a Candied Flower,
Hold Infinity on your plate of Eats,
An Eternity of Happy Hours.
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 5:54 AM on August 5, 2022 [52 favorites]
And a Heaven in a Candied Flower,
Hold Infinity on your plate of Eats,
An Eternity of Happy Hours.
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 5:54 AM on August 5, 2022 [52 favorites]
I agree with ejs. Hilarious and delicious!
posted by a car full of lions at 5:56 AM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by a car full of lions at 5:56 AM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
I mean, who among us hasn't gotten a little tipsy, taken a picture of a slice of chorizo, and called it a rare photo of a star? Pffft, that's a Wednesday.
posted by Kitteh at 6:22 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 6:22 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
Twitter is not Nature.
posted by hypnogogue at 6:24 AM on August 5, 2022 [23 favorites]
posted by hypnogogue at 6:24 AM on August 5, 2022 [23 favorites]
This is just to say
I have eaten
the chorizo
that was mistaken
for Proxima Centauri
And which
you were probably
sharing
on twitter
Forgive me
it was delicious
so spicy
and so misleading
posted by mmoncur at 6:32 AM on August 5, 2022 [80 favorites]
I have eaten
the chorizo
that was mistaken
for Proxima Centauri
And which
you were probably
sharing
on twitter
Forgive me
it was delicious
so spicy
and so misleading
posted by mmoncur at 6:32 AM on August 5, 2022 [80 favorites]
sounds like we're a few ingredients short of a interstellar taco pizza
posted by pyramid termite at 6:59 AM on August 5, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by pyramid termite at 6:59 AM on August 5, 2022 [6 favorites]
I see no reason some enterprising Butcher or Salumist shouldn't capitalize on this "Far Out" news.
J. Webb Chorizo - Best Chorizo in the Universe
posted by djseafood at 6:59 AM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
J. Webb Chorizo - Best Chorizo in the Universe
posted by djseafood at 6:59 AM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
Twinkle, twinkle, boudin noir
petite tranche de mousse de foie
rosette, jambon de bayonne
any kind of saucisson
All these I will eat with glee
just please don't serve me up andouille
posted by protorp at 7:01 AM on August 5, 2022 [49 favorites]
petite tranche de mousse de foie
rosette, jambon de bayonne
any kind of saucisson
All these I will eat with glee
just please don't serve me up andouille
posted by protorp at 7:01 AM on August 5, 2022 [49 favorites]
Well I, for one, welcome our new sausage-based overlords, and would like to remind them as a trusted science professor, that I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground paprika mines.
posted by darkstar at 7:03 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by darkstar at 7:03 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
Oh come on, this isn't even in the same galaxy as Alex Jones telling everyone that dead kids didn't exist and their parents were actors in a scheme to take your guns and inject you with mind control chips.
This was harmless and funny.
posted by Naberius at 7:07 AM on August 5, 2022 [10 favorites]
This was harmless and funny.
posted by Naberius at 7:07 AM on August 5, 2022 [10 favorites]
Look, it was a faculty party and things got a little out of hand.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:39 AM on August 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:39 AM on August 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
just please don't serve me up andouille
PSA: if you are ever in New Orleans, you abdolutely DO want the andouille. It is not the same thing at all.
posted by solotoro at 7:48 AM on August 5, 2022 [9 favorites]
PSA: if you are ever in New Orleans, you abdolutely DO want the andouille. It is not the same thing at all.
posted by solotoro at 7:48 AM on August 5, 2022 [9 favorites]
He should have shown it in the twin system with the linguica
posted by armoir from antproof case at 8:08 AM on August 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by armoir from antproof case at 8:08 AM on August 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
WaPo: James Webb Space Telescope images ranked by how good they look to eat
You THOUGHT THAT WAS A JOKE, but it is NOT.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:14 AM on August 5, 2022 [11 favorites]
You THOUGHT THAT WAS A JOKE, but it is NOT.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:14 AM on August 5, 2022 [11 favorites]
oh, when the star hits your eye, like a big taco pie, that's chorizo
i don't want hamburger helper tonight - see what you've done
posted by pyramid termite at 8:22 AM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
i don't want hamburger helper tonight - see what you've done
posted by pyramid termite at 8:22 AM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
I just had breakfast and now I'm getting hungry again. Thanks, MetaFilter!
posted by May Kasahara at 8:25 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by May Kasahara at 8:25 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
As an astronomer, I sometimes think of myself as a professional Killer of Dreams. i spend a nonzero amount of time on facebook telling people, no, that's not a real picture of the Moon, it's been photoshopped; no, that's CGI from a movie, not an HST image; no, that's not an image from JWST, that's an artist's conception based on Juno images; et cetera.
But this is funny and I kind of love it. If it teaches people to take a moment to confirm the origin of an image and the veracity of the caption before they share it, then it's all to the good.
posted by BrashTech at 8:32 AM on August 5, 2022 [19 favorites]
But this is funny and I kind of love it. If it teaches people to take a moment to confirm the origin of an image and the veracity of the caption before they share it, then it's all to the good.
posted by BrashTech at 8:32 AM on August 5, 2022 [19 favorites]
*blink* People thought it was real? I saw it a couple of days ago, it was obviously not a star, and seemed clearly a joke to me?
posted by tavella at 8:42 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by tavella at 8:42 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
This seems pretty harmless. What annoys me is when some sensational space-related thing ("NASA releases first HD images of extrasolar planet!") gets tweeted out and quickly picks up 300K likes and 20K retweets and then a day later you find out it's a photo of one of Jupiter's moons taken by the Hubble telescope in 1997.
posted by Atom Eyes at 8:48 AM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 8:48 AM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
My one regret* in moving to Oregon from Rhode Island is that my cravings for chouriço now go unfulfilled. I should order some once the first few paychecks from the new job come through.
* there are more than one, but this is probably the biggest
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 8:51 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
* there are more than one, but this is probably the biggest
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 8:51 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
"I'm telling you, the stars, they're made out of meat."
posted by greenland at 8:53 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by greenland at 8:53 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
I have eaten
the chorizo
that was mistaken
for Proxima Centauri
Paella Centauri
posted by thivaia at 9:03 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
the chorizo
that was mistaken
for Proxima Centauri
Paella Centauri
posted by thivaia at 9:03 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
Seems like a surprisingly old joke:
* These #JWST images just get better and better...
* Pour ceux qui ont loupé l'eclipse d'hier For those who missed the eclipse yesterday
* #eclissi in Calabria. Spettacolo. #eclipse in Calabria. What a show.
posted by little onion at 9:11 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
* These #JWST images just get better and better...
* Pour ceux qui ont loupé l'eclipse d'hier For those who missed the eclipse yesterday
* #eclissi in Calabria. Spettacolo. #eclipse in Calabria. What a show.
posted by little onion at 9:11 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Twitter was full of obviously fake “look at what the JWST just caught” images. This guy's sin was to have posted one whilst in a position of seniority.
posted by acb at 9:12 AM on August 5, 2022
posted by acb at 9:12 AM on August 5, 2022
Volaro
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
Chorizo
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:15 AM on August 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
Chorizo
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:15 AM on August 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
I know that disinformation is a major problem and the last thing we need is for people to have reason to distrust scientists but this is hilarious.
Agreed. Normalizing distrust of actual experts is the absolute wurst.
posted by Mayor West at 9:17 AM on August 5, 2022 [19 favorites]
Agreed. Normalizing distrust of actual experts is the absolute wurst.
posted by Mayor West at 9:17 AM on August 5, 2022 [19 favorites]
Now now, no need to be a brat about it
posted by rouftop at 9:20 AM on August 5, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by rouftop at 9:20 AM on August 5, 2022 [10 favorites]
I never sausage a silly picture.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:22 AM on August 5, 2022 [16 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:22 AM on August 5, 2022 [16 favorites]
Best of the Webb.
posted by fedward at 9:55 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by fedward at 9:55 AM on August 5, 2022 [7 favorites]
Mmmm starcuterie.
posted by emelenjr at 9:58 AM on August 5, 2022 [16 favorites]
posted by emelenjr at 9:58 AM on August 5, 2022 [16 favorites]
"My God, it's full of meat!'
posted by KingEdRa at 9:59 AM on August 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by KingEdRa at 9:59 AM on August 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
I never would have thought to use an H-Alpha filter on something that wasn't the sun.
posted by TedW at 10:08 AM on August 5, 2022
posted by TedW at 10:08 AM on August 5, 2022
jenfullmoon, that link is a delight!
For instance, from her appreciation of two photos of the Southern Ring Nebula:
"The one on the right looks delicious, like some sort of fancy cured meat or thinly sliced radish, or a movie theater candy that was supposed to look like a fancy cured meat or thinly sliced radish. I would definitely drink a Gatorade in either of these flavors, and both of them would be raspberry."
posted by theatro at 10:25 AM on August 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
For instance, from her appreciation of two photos of the Southern Ring Nebula:
"The one on the right looks delicious, like some sort of fancy cured meat or thinly sliced radish, or a movie theater candy that was supposed to look like a fancy cured meat or thinly sliced radish. I would definitely drink a Gatorade in either of these flavors, and both of them would be raspberry."
posted by theatro at 10:25 AM on August 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best of the Webb.
Also: Wurst of the Webb.
posted by pwnguin at 10:59 AM on August 5, 2022 [19 favorites]
Also: Wurst of the Webb.
posted by pwnguin at 10:59 AM on August 5, 2022 [19 favorites]
So are we renaming this to the Chorizo Sausage Space Telescope or what?
posted by q*ben at 11:14 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by q*ben at 11:14 AM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
They're Made out of Meat (Terry Bisson, OMNI, 1991)
posted by neuron at 11:15 AM on August 5, 2022 [9 favorites]
posted by neuron at 11:15 AM on August 5, 2022 [9 favorites]
Take a finite amount of space, say one cubic meter. There is a finite number of configurations of matter that can occupy that space. One possibility is that it is one cubic meter of chorizo. That's a very small possibility, but if the universe is infinite, the possibility of a cubic meter of chorizo existing becomes 100%. Actually, in an infinite universe, there are an infinite number of cubic meters of chorizo.
Therefore, in an infinite universe, there are an infinite number of planets, stars, and galaxies made of chorizo.
posted by adept256 at 11:39 AM on August 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
Therefore, in an infinite universe, there are an infinite number of planets, stars, and galaxies made of chorizo.
posted by adept256 at 11:39 AM on August 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
Therefore, in an infinite universe, there are an infinite number of planets, stars, and galaxies made of chorizo.
Under the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, there could be entire universes made of charcuterie!
posted by TedW at 12:33 PM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Under the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, there could be entire universes made of charcuterie!
posted by TedW at 12:33 PM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
That's a very small possibility, but if the universe is infinite, the possibility of a cubic meter of chorizo existing becomes 100%.
especially if you live down the road from a carneceria - how many one pound packages would that be?
----
Under the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, there could be entire universes made of charcuterie!
"bones - what is it?"
"it's tripe, jim - but not as we know it"
posted by pyramid termite at 12:38 PM on August 5, 2022 [10 favorites]
especially if you live down the road from a carneceria - how many one pound packages would that be?
----
Under the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, there could be entire universes made of charcuterie!
"bones - what is it?"
"it's tripe, jim - but not as we know it"
posted by pyramid termite at 12:38 PM on August 5, 2022 [10 favorites]
1000 Years From Now
Captain: Science! what do we have on that planet?
Science: Well, captain, it’s a Type III red giant, not too hot, but you know, er … spicy.
Captain: Is that an official term?
Science: It is now.
Captain: Fair enough. What’s it called?
Science: Um … Chorizo.
Captain: Chorizo? Where the hell they get that name?
Science: The origins of the name are lost to history, sir.
Captain: Very well. Let’s science this thing up.
Science: Sciencing, sir!
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 2:20 PM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
Captain: Science! what do we have on that planet?
Science: Well, captain, it’s a Type III red giant, not too hot, but you know, er … spicy.
Captain: Is that an official term?
Science: It is now.
Captain: Fair enough. What’s it called?
Science: Um … Chorizo.
Captain: Chorizo? Where the hell they get that name?
Science: The origins of the name are lost to history, sir.
Captain: Very well. Let’s science this thing up.
Science: Sciencing, sir!
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 2:20 PM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
When the star in your tweet
Is a slice of cured meat
That’s chorizo
posted by dephlogisticated at 3:06 PM on August 5, 2022 [18 favorites]
Is a slice of cured meat
That’s chorizo
posted by dephlogisticated at 3:06 PM on August 5, 2022 [18 favorites]
In an attempt to regain the scientific high ground, Mr Etienne later posted an image of the famous Cartwheel Galaxy, assuring followers that this time the photo was real.
$5 on kaszanka
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:06 PM on August 5, 2022
$5 on kaszanka
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:06 PM on August 5, 2022
Let’s science this thing up.
I want that on a t-shirt!
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:19 PM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
I want that on a t-shirt!
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:19 PM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
NASA tweeted something similar five years ago:
https://twitter.com/EuropaClipper/status/634858391249141760
posted by Zpt2718 at 5:41 PM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
https://twitter.com/EuropaClipper/status/634858391249141760
posted by Zpt2718 at 5:41 PM on August 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
That was pretty good prank and gave me a good laugh. The fact that people are actually angry about this makes me laugh even harder. It is a reminder that we should never take twitter seriously.
posted by interogative mood at 9:21 PM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by interogative mood at 9:21 PM on August 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Star light, star bright,
First star I eat tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have this on a sub tonight.
posted by not_on_display at 10:39 PM on August 5, 2022 [6 favorites]
First star I eat tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have this on a sub tonight.
posted by not_on_display at 10:39 PM on August 5, 2022 [6 favorites]
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched chorizo glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like… tears in rain. Time to dine.
posted by Elmore at 2:52 AM on August 6, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by Elmore at 2:52 AM on August 6, 2022 [10 favorites]
Like delivery drivers in the rain, surely.
But also, everybody who got pissed at the poor guy is probably just embarrassed because they shouldn't have fallen for it in the first place. Proxima Centauri is about a milliarcsecond across, and the resolution of the Webb is 100 times that. So a single Webb pixel is about 100x100 slices of Chorizo, if that makes sense.
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 10:10 AM on August 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
But also, everybody who got pissed at the poor guy is probably just embarrassed because they shouldn't have fallen for it in the first place. Proxima Centauri is about a milliarcsecond across, and the resolution of the Webb is 100 times that. So a single Webb pixel is about 100x100 slices of Chorizo, if that makes sense.
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 10:10 AM on August 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
Not JUST a star, but
posted by Going To Maine at 9:29 PM on August 6, 2022
posted by Going To Maine at 9:29 PM on August 6, 2022
Chorizo is the star of plenty of recipes, but through a telescope isn't the best way to appreciate them.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:44 PM on August 6, 2022
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:44 PM on August 6, 2022
Everyone knows that without a telescope all you can see is...speck.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:57 AM on August 12, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:57 AM on August 12, 2022 [3 favorites]
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